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Hermes Mine

Hermes Mine

Deep in the woods of Idaho, cinnabar was discovered at the headwaters of Sugar Creek (later renamed Cinnabar Creek) by Pringle Smith in 1902. Actual mining didn’t start until the early 1920s; even then, it was limited to only a few flasks of mercury. The mine was worked in

Boundary Island Petroglyphs

Boundary Island Petroglyphs

In a far-flung corner of Joshua Tree, there is an isolated boulder outcrop with a few dozen petroglyphs. The petroglyphs are generally abstract in design and could be of Serrano or Chemehuevi origin. There are quite a few circle petroglyphs here with lines descending from them. It would be interesting

Livingston Mill

Livingston Mill

We got a tour of this mining camp in central Idaho from the caretaker who lives on-site. He was very generous with his time and was happy to show us around. I asked him why the name “Trump” was painted on the mill buildings, and he said: “You never know.

Pipes Canyon

Pipes Canyon

Pipes Canyon is a pleasant and easy hike. The trail heads out from the visitor center at the Pioneertown Mountains Preserve and follows the canyon up into a riparian habitat. The canyon is usually dry, but water does occasionally surface to support this isolated oasis. Keep an eye out for

Sun Sword and Whale Rock Petroglyphs

Sun Sword and Whale Rock Petroglyphs

With a tip from a friend, I went out searching for a remote set of petroglyphs in the backcountry wilderness of Joshua Tree National Park in early 2020. I had a few clues in my search. I was looking for petroglyphs that were near an old campsite and hidden on

Hunting Grounds Mill

Hunting Grounds Mill

Lost in the woods of central Idaho, we found a Chilean-style roller mill still full of ore waiting to be processed. The mill is a C.C. Lane slow-speed roller mill and was installed at the mill site around 1930. It once had a steam engine to go along with

Canebrake Skeleton Pictographs

Canebrake Skeleton Pictographs

Hidden in a granite rock shelter near an ancient Kumeyaay village site is a unique set of pictographs. Most of these pictographs are typical of the La Rumorosa Style, but what is unusual here are the skeleton figures. I have not seen them anywhere else in the Kumeyaay territory. Some